White Peacocks
by sophiew11
Summary: A story of the Malfoy family after Lord Voldemort's Fall. Events told from their perspective, follows Lucius and Narcissa at Malfoy Manor and Draco at Hogwarts. Will be revealing all the secrets you've ever wanted to know about the Malfoys; How did Lucius evade Azkaban? How is Draco treated at home? How did Narcissa cope with the deaths and losses of her family?
1. Chapter 1 - Halloween

On the evening of October 31st 1981, Lucius Malfoy was reclining in his favourite armchair with a glass of firewhiskey and a plate of small pumpkin pies left over from the children's Halloween party, he had almost finished reading Cantankerous Nott's 'Importance of the Preservation of Pure Blood.' As he was about to reach for his fourth pie, a hand snatched the plate away and his hand hit the mahogany table instead.

'It's nearly eleven, you shouldn't eat so late.'

'Cissa, one more. Only. Please?'

Narcissa rolled her eyes and begrudgingly handed her husband the smallest pie on the plate before placing the pies a safe distance outside Lucius' reach.  
It was almost midnight when Lucius finally finished his book and decided to go to sleep. He only slept for three hours before a brief sharp pain on his left forearm woke him. This must have been a dream, as the Dark Lord's call is more like a slow burning sensation, however, before he could comprehend what had just happened and go back to sleep, a figure of a woman appeared beside his bead.

'Bella! What in Merlin-'

His cousin and fellow Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange quickly smacked one hand over his mouth and the other on his shoulder to keep his still.

'We need to go. NOW,' she whispered.

Lucius quickly looked over at his wife; Narcissa looked as if a hundred hippogriffs would not be able to wake her. He grabbed a long dark green cloak that would hopefully conceal his pyjamas and slippers, then swiftly followed his cousin with not a word more.

* * *

This was one of the rare instances when Lucius Malfoy felt genuine fear; believing The Dark Lord would succeed in taking over wizarding Britain, Lucius had engaged in some activities which may not be looked upon favourably by the Ministry, and now that The Dark Lord has fallen, there was nothing preventing the damned Auror Office from initiating a full investigation.

'…He couldn't kill the Potter boy. When we arrived the house was practically destroyed and there was no sign of the Dark Lord, only the bodies of James and Lily Potter.'

Lucius caught sight of Severus Snape sitting alone in a corner, slumped against the wall, as if he had lost the will to live, his sallow skin even paler. At the mention of Lily Potter's name, deep ridges formed on his forehead and he closed his eyes, as if willing himself not to cry. Lucius walked over and gently patted his young friend's shoulder.

'How are you certain the boy survived?' Lucius demanded, there was no possible way a child of Draco's age could have killed The Dark Lord.

'We heard the kid crying as he was taken away by that half-breed,' Rodolphus Lestrange replied, 'Bella and I considered killing him and the boy, but, alas, he is not ours to kill.'

'You will need a plan,' Snape said, 'as Dumbledore believes me to be his spy, I am safe.'

'We fight. We have learnt from the most powerful wizard of all time, we can defeat the aurors and finish the Dark Lord's work!' Evan Rosier growled.

Half of the room showed their approval, whilst the other half exchanged worried glances. Lucius decided to speak for the latter half.

'I think that it is less than prudent to openly declare war against the Ministry.'

Cassius Crabbe, as well as many others, nodded in approval;

'My son has just turned two, and my wife is expecting another – do you honestly expect me to leave them behind and waste away in Azkaban?'

'Cowards! The lot of you!' Bellatrix spat, glowering at Cassius and Lucius.

'Perhaps you do not comprehend the severity of the situation, _Lestrange_ ,' Lucius hissed.

'Oh we comprehend perfectly, _Malfoy_ ,' Bellatrix's lips curled into a snarl, 'you know as well as I that the Dark Lord has not been _completely_ vanquished, and that he _will_ return soon.'

'And you know as well as I that he asked us to. Keep. Them. Safe.'

The night went on thusly, arguments and the occasional hex on how to proceed, until it was decided that those who unfortunately found themselves captured and sentenced to Azkaban will go proudly, however they will not betray any of their fellow comrades under questioning.

It was almost six o'clock when Lucius returned to Malfoy Manor, he went immediately to his study where a bottle of McLaggen's Finest Firewhisky was always present. About to pour himself a glass, a sudden impulsiveness compelled him to drink straight from the bottle – four large gulps before heading to his bedroom.

'Cissa!' Lucius was surprised that his wife has woken so early, she was sitting in an armchair besides the window in a dark blue dressing gown, looking intently at the sky outside. 'I hope I did not wake you when I left?'

'No no, it was the fireworks that woke me – around four in the morning I think. I take it that the reason for your impromptu meeting was the same as the fireworks?'

And so Lucius recounted the events of the three hours past, however no amount of firewhisky could inspire enough courage in him to tell his wife that her beloved sister has decided to fight for the Dark Lord until her death.

* * *

The next day Lucius and Narcissa were eating breakfast as if everything was normal – that was their decided plan; to pretend they had nothing to do with the Dark Lord, when Dobby came in carrying the mail: a copy of The Daily Prophet and a letter sealed with the Ministry of Magic stamp.

 _'Dear Mr and Mrs Malfoy,_

 _Following the delightful events of last night, the Ministry is hosting a celebratory party tomorrow in honour of Harry Potter, 'The Boy Who Lived' and his spectacular defeat of You-Know-Who, ending a period of darkness and terror for the Wizarding World. As one of the Ministry's most generous supporters, we are inviting you to join us at 6 o'clock in the evening in the Atrium._

 _Best Wishes,_

 _Millicent Bagnold, Minister for Magic.'_

'It looks like we're going to a party Cissa,' Lucius said, placing the letter down onto the table and picking up The Daily Prophet.

'Slightly worse news; you cousin Sirius has been arrested for being a Death Eater and…' Lucius paused whilst finishing the article, 'and for blowing up some muggles and Peter Pettigrew.'

Narcissa gently shrugged one shoulder, broke off a piece of toast and started buttering it.

'Sirius Black is no family of mine,' she vehemently said lowly.

Lucius would have believed her except for the fact she continued to butter the same piece of toast for two minutes now, her knuckles holding the butter knife white. 'I hope he rots in Azkaban.'

Lucius and Narcissa, having arrived fashionably late, were instantly greeted with warm words from Cornelius Fudge, a Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, and with not so warm words from Alastor Moody, head of the Auror Office. Lucius was pleased to note the absence of the blood traitor Arthur Weasley, and returned to his conversation with Fudge.

'Shocking…absolutely shocking to see someone do such horrendous things…blood everywhere.'

'Yes, and I am sure that the entire wizarding world is grateful to you for the apprehension of such a violent criminal… certainly he must have been largely responsible for the numerous previous attacks as well?'

'Well we shall find out next week, during his trial, discover the monstrous things he has been doing under You-Know-Who, although he still claims inn- ah! Weasley! Glad you see you!'

Fudge's sudden exclamation was accompanied by loud grunts and the appearance of a lanky bespectacled redheaded man and a smaller redheaded boy, both wearing robes that had been roughly mended.

'Sorry I'm late Fudge, fireplace malfunctioned a bit – and three boys - you know how they can be!' Weasley laughed whilst wiping Floo Powder off his face. 'This is Percy, my youngest, he's been begging me to bring him to the Ministry, wants to be Minister of Magic – don't you, Percy?'

The boy threw his father an irritated look as his face turned as red as his hair, whilst Fudge burst into laughter.

This was completely and utterly against decorum; no other families brought their children, yet everyone else was fawning over this redhead little brat as if he was The-Boy-Who-Lived himself.

'How dare you show your face here Malfoy? Do you have no shame?'

Lucius cursed internally; it seems his pleasant evening will be short lived.

'Pity you did not bring your entire family Weasley, I suppose today's food will be the best they've ever have the chance to taste.'

'Surrounding you are the families of those who died fighting You-Know-Who, whose deaths were caused by you and your Death Eater friends!'

Lucius rolled his eyes and sighed, he was already bored with this conversation.

'I do not plan on wasting my time listening to your unfounded accusations Weasley,' he drawled, walking away to find better company more fitting for a Malfoy.

The evening was spent, on Lucius' part, discussing with various high ranking Ministry officials, such as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Bartemius Crouch, on how You-Know-Who's downfall will affect the political landscape of wizarding Britain, whilst Narcissa utilised her time by offering her _sincerest condolences_ as well as the occasional sympathetic smile and pat on the handto the widows and families of those who died fighting You-Know-Who's.

When they finally returned to Malfoy Manor, their son, Draco, was fast asleep. As Lucius sat stroking Draco's little cloud of blond hair, he realised that for his beloved child there was no possible way he would allow himself to go to Azkaban.


	2. Chapter 2 - Questions

The Malfoy's pleasant lunch of venison pie and pumpkin soup was imprudently interrupted by Dobby the house-elf accompanying two men, one tall and black, dressed in rich purple robes, and the other, of a considerably reduced stature, was dressed in black and blue, however both were sporting silver badges with the engraved blue letters 'D.M.L.E'- Aurors. Narcissa stabbed at a piece of venison with her fork; with the Dark Lord gone, these Aurors think they have nothing to fear and they assume that they can act with such a complete lack of propriety –

'Gentlemen, to what do we owe this pleasure?' she asked, smiling courteously in the fashion her mother Druella had instilled in her since birth.

'We need you to come with us to the Ministry – and Mr Malfoy, you too. We have some questions to ask you.'

'Unfortunately that will not be possible, I am a busy man, and I ought to have received prior notice.' Lucius continued to eat as if there had been no disruption, Narcissa doing the same.

'We're not asking, Malfoy. Both of you are to come with us to the Ministry now.'

Five seconds of silence ensued, until Narcissa's cornflower blue eyes locked with Lucius's silvery grey ones, and simultaneously, they rose from their chairs.

'Dobby, fetch our cloaks.'

They followed the aurors in stony silence, Narcissa stealing worried glances at her husband, who continued to stare fixedly ahead, but gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. The quartet walked until they reached the black Ministry car parked outside the iron gates of Malfoy Manor.

Maybe they know Lucius is a Death Eater. Perhaps they found evidence of his participation in murder of those mudblood siblings and their parents? No, it was too soon; it has only been four days, the incompetence of the auror office meant that there was not enough time for them to gather sufficient evidence to arrest Lucius surely? Or maybe someone, some fool had cracked under questioning and betrayed Lucius? Narcissa inhaled deeply, she ought not to be thinking these things, it was imperative at this instant she hide her thoughts.

Lucius on the other hand, made no attempt to control his thoughts; he was furious at the fact that he and his wife had been dragged to the Ministry for no reason. He was a respected member of society and a dear friend of the Minister herself, how dare they do this to them as if they were common criminals?

The stony silence continued for the entire journey; for Lucius and Narcissa, this was a battle in itself; breaking the silence was a sign of weakness, and for the aurors, well, there was plenty of time to talk later in the interrogation room.

* * *

'Take a seat Mr and Mrs Malfoy.' The tall one said, pulling out two chair with his wand, and proceeded to sit on one of the chairs opposite them. 'My name is Kingsley Shacklebolt, and this is my partner, John Dawlish.'

The room was dark; a lone oil lamp being the only source of light. Clearly the luxury of an enchanted sky ceiling was not given to suspected criminals.

'Why are we here, Mr Shacklebolt?' Narcissa asked, one of her eyebrows raising slightly. 'If we are to be so unceremoniously removed from our home there ought to be a good reason, no?'

'It is about your sister Bellatr-'

Narcissa almost jumped out from her chair.

'-ix Lestrange. Do you know where she is?' Dawlish asked.

Lucius and Narcissa both answered in the negative.

'Have you had any contact with her for the past five days?' he asked again.

Again, Lucius and Narcissa both answered in the negative.

Shacklebolt sighed, and pulled out a file from a pocket in his robes, from which he took out two pieces of paper and laid them on the table; on one was a missing persons report, and the other, a photograph.

'Augusta Longbottom contacted me on the second of November, saying her son and daughter-in-law Frank and Alice did not come home from the Ministry party that night. As Frank and Alice were both members of the Order of the Phoenix, I thought little of their temporary disappearance, assuming they were on a secret mission.' Shacklebolt paused to point his illuminated wand at the photo. 'I was wrong. The Longbottoms were found early this morning by the Order.'

The photo was of a man and a woman – Frank and Alice presumably- their faces, hair and clothes were covered in dried blood, their eyes were rolled back, exposing the yellowish whites of their eyes, and their mouths were agape, allowing their tongues to hang out.

Narcissa stole a glance at Lucius to see if he knew anything about this, however, judging by his expression of pure shock, he obviously did not.

'They were found in a hunting lodge belonging to the Lestranges.' Shacklebolt continued, carefully looking at Narcissa and Lucius for a reaction, 'if you know anything at all, you must tell us.'

If Lucius and Narcissa were astonished by this, their still and calm faced betrayed no hint of their true emotions.

'Narcissa and I, we have not been in contact with our sister for quite some time, and I can assure you that we had no knowledge of this appalling incident.'

'Are you quite sure, Mr Malfoy, that _you_ had no inkling of an idea they might carry out such an attack?' Dawlish interjected. 'Where were you

Lucius bristled at this obvious backhanded accusation.

'If you do not have any evidence against us, my wife and I will like to go home.'

'One more thing. Do you know where they might be hiding? Any other homes here or abroad?'

'They have a small retreat in the south of France, in Montpellier. And a holiday retreat in Devon.'

Shacklebolt sighed, looking at his interrogates' stony faces, they were not going to get any more information from them today.

'You may go. Thank you for your time.'

As Narcissa and Lucius were making their way from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to the Atrium, Narcissa caught sight of a woman, or rather, her headdress of a stuffed vulture. She was in her late sixties, and visibly distressed, however, it was difficult to see which emotion dominated; sadness or anger. Narcissa nudged her husband, and nodded in the direction of the woman.

'If I'm not mistaken, that is Augusta Longbottom, is it not?'

'She must have found out about her son and daughter,' Lucius muttered.

They snuck quietly past Mrs Longbottom, her rage would certainly have turned from her present victim to them; the family of those who orphaned her grandchild, if she had seen them, behind them they heard her voice steadily grow louder and shakier.

'They were your responsibility Crouch! You should have looked after them! Why did you not listen when I told you? You should've searched for them on that day! They are dead because of your, your complete and utter incompetence – how dare you make excuses for yourself? Thought they were on a secret mission for the Order did you? Bartemius Crouch, if you do not find the monsters who did this, Merlin help me, you will regret being born!'

Lucius grabbed Narcissa's arm and they hastily made for the lift, eager to be far away from Augusta Longbottom's fury.

* * *

With a small pop, Narcissa and Lucius appeared outside the gates of their Manor, and they hurried through the iron gates towards the Manor; they had been away for almost two hours, and although Dobby was a more than adequate babysitter, Draco must be wondering where his mother was. There was no need for Narcissa to worry, as Draco's chuckles was heard all the way from the vestibule. A mass of ebony black curls conjuring green dragon shaped clouds for a laughing Draco greeted Narcissa and Lucius as they entered the drawing room.

'Bella?'

Bellatrix Lestrange turned around to face her sister, a large smirk spread across her face.

'You shouldn't leave Draco here alone, you know, when we arrived he was crying. Honestly, how can you call yourselves parents?'

'What in Merlin's name are you doing here? You need to leave.'

'It's wonderful to see you too, dear sister,' Bella's voice saturated with sarcasm.

'We are serious, Bella.' Lucius interjected. 'We were just called to the Ministry because of you and Rodolphus. Why would you do that? Why would you kill two of the most popular Aurors – the whole Department of Magical Law Enforcement is looking for you!'

'Look, Lucius, we didn't kill them, when we left they were very much alive,' Bella hissed. 'All we wanted was to retrieve some information from them, about the Dark Lord. Rodolphus, Rabastan, me and the Crouch kid, we abducted the Longbottoms and we took them to our hunting lodge. We were using the Cruciatus curse on them but they told us nothing. But then,' Bella's eyes widened, and lowering her voice, she said, 'they stopped. Just…nothing. It was as if the Cruciatus curse did not affect them anymore. It was as if they became unconscious, we waited a long while but they wouldn't wake up. Then the damned Order came.'

'Rodolphus, Rabastan and Crouch, where are they now?' Narcissa asked.

Bella turned her head toward the window, looking out at the wide expanse of forest on the Malfoy estate, where a tiny lone cabin stood.

'Merlin! You hid them here? Are you absolutely insane? This is the first place the Ministry will look!'

'Cissy! Please! We won't stay long – Rabs, he was injured when we were escaping, that half breed Lupin – all we need are some healing potions and food, then we will go.'

There was a few seconds of stillness before Narcissa nodded and headed for the pantry. When Narcissa was far away enough, Bellatrix beckoned Lucius to come closer;

'I fear we have a traitor in our midst, as for me, my money is on Snape.'

'Absurd. You know how loyal Snape is to us, he was the one who told the Dark Lord the prophecy.' Lucius refused to believe his friend was anything less than loyal; after all, he was Draco's godfather, he would never betray them like this.

'He spies on the Order pretending to be spying on us – who knows which side he's really on.'

'How can you be certain it was a tip off? To be sure, they did find you rather quickly, but perhaps the Order got lucky. It is not as if you or Rod were ever discreet with your previous escapades.'

As this moment Narcissa returned, holding a box with an assortment of breads, hard cheeses, pickles and dried meats.

'Here. These should last you a week or so. Dobby is preparing the potions, they will be ready shortly.'

Placing the box on the floor, Narcissa rushed towards her sister and hugged her tightly, Bellatrix stunned by the sudden sentimental act, chortled and half-heartedly tried to push Narcissa away.

'It's not like I shall be gone forever, we'll go into hiding for a few months, but the Dark Lord will be back soon, and we along with him. Don't try to contact me, don't put yourself in danger.'

With the all-purpose healing potions prepared, Bellatrix sauntered out, having placed the potions and the box of food in her small black purse. Narcissa hoped this was not the last time she sees her sister alive; everyone knew that under Crouch, aurors were instructed to 'kill rather than capture,' and the Unforgiveable Curses were encouraged. For Lucius, he comprehended the fact that this was just the beginning of a long series of questionings and accusations.


	3. Chapter 3 - Trials

'Sirius Orion Black, infamous Death Eater, charged with killing the honoured Order of the Phoenix member Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles, will have his trial on the 8th of November, at 4 pm. Due to the notoriety of the accused, the trial will be open to the public.'

Narcissa read and reread the notice in the Daily Prophet - she had recently taken up reading both the Daily and Evening Prophet, scrutinising every page, reading every article hoping for the absence of any news of the Lestranges, for that must mean they are still successfully hiding. She gazed fixedly at the picture of Sirius Black; his hair was matted, and he was laughing as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. The battle between curiosity and family duty waged inside Narcissa, with family duty finally vanquished; she wanted to see what her cousin had become, a blood traitor turned secret spy; so secret in fact, that the Dark Lord's inner circle did not know. Lucius was at Hogwarts, in a governors meeting, and Draco was at Theodore's birthday party, consequently, Narcissa managed to convince herself that this was merely a distraction for her ennui.

Sirius was brought in by two aurors, and accompanied by four Dementors. Narcissa pulled her cloak tighter around her body, shielding herself from the biting cold, whilst the Wizengamot members, in their silk plum robes, shuddered as the cold hit them. He was as handsome as Narcissa remembered; he had the same high cheekbones and sharp jawline as Bella, and his blue eyes were like a reflection of her own. It had been six years since Narcissa properly saw her cousin - it was during the Christmas holidays of 1975, when they were in their fifth year Hogwarts, Narcissa and her parents had been invited to Number 12, Grimmauld Place, as Bellatrix was spending the holidays with her new husband, and Andromeda was never to be spoken of again. Sirius and his mother Walburga had had another one of their fiery rows, and Christmas lunch was fraught with tension. On that day, Sirius packed the few belongings he treasured and left, and on the same day, Narcissa saw her aunt blast Sirius's name from the family tapestry, and he was never spoken of again. To be sure, they saw each other at Hogwarts, but being in different Houses, and keen to avoid each other, they merely caught sight of the backs of each other's heads, certainly, they never spoke to each other again.

'You are Sirius Orion Black, yes?' Barty Crouch asked, but his tone suggested that it was more of a statement.

Sirius did not deign to reply, instead his smirk grew wider and he let out a harsh laugh.

Perhaps he is a Death Eater, Narcissa thought, his utter disregard for the trial suggested he was more alike with Bellatrix than Narcissa gave credit; he obviously did not care whether he is found guilty, evidently he was willing to go to Azbakan for the Dark Lord just like Bella.

Crouch, angry at Sirius' visible disregard for his authority, slammed his fist onto the table in front, and ordered the metal chains wrapped around Sirius's body to be tightened.

'Sirius Black, you are charged with the murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles as well as being a spy You-Know-Who which led to the deaths of Lily and James Potter!'

'I am, aren't I? I was never no spy, but the Potters were my dearest friends and I killed them, and that filthy piece of scum Pettigrew? He deserved to die.'

The reactions were instantaneous; some cursed and shouted, others of a more sensitive disposition gasped and almost fainted at Sirius's lack of remorse.

'That is enough!' Crouch shouted, until the courtroom was silent once more, his face turning a peculiar shade which matched his robes.

'Sirius Black you are sentenced to life in Azkaban!'

Narcissa felt a slight pang of sadness, despite everything, Sirius was still her cousin; the boy she had fought with over whose turn it was on the toy broomstick, and who she shared her worries about starting Hogwarts. Now he was to live a life no better than death, he was lucky to survive twenty years, and ten of those as a sane man.

* * *

By the time Narcissa returned home, Lucius had already returned, having picked up Draco along the way, and he was currently trying to teach the young child how to ride a broom.

'Lucius! We said we would wait until he's older! He can barely walk, let alone ride a broomstick!'

'He's fine, he has my blood, and you know how fine a flier I was in Hogwarts,' replied Lucius, grinning and looking proudly at his son.

Narcissa placed a spoonful of the beef stew into her mouth, it felt as if she was chewing leather. She forced herself to swallow it, but she could not manage another morsel of food – even the wine tasted sour.

'You are not eaing.' Lucius observed.

'This beef is dry. The wine is sour.'

Lucius consequently, also ate some of the beef and took a sip of the wine.

'No, it's not, Dobby has been making this stew since I was a child, it has never been dry. And the wine, I bottled this myself and I can assure you - my darling, what is the matter?' Lucius noticed the vacant and downcast expression on Narcissa's face. He had only seen her look like this once before; when she found out about the death of her younger cousin Regulus.

'What? Nothing's the matter. I'm fine. And what's the matter with you? Why are you calling me darling all of a sudden?'

'I'm worried about you, clearly something's wrong. You have the look on your face.'

'The look? I don't have a look. My face betrays no emotion.'

'Did something happen today? Is that why you're-' Lucius stopped as realisation dawned, 'today was Sirius's trial wasn't it?'

'They didn't even give him a proper trial, Crouch, it was as if he decided Sirius's guilt beforehand, what if it is the same –'

'You went to his trial? Is that why you were out? You should not be go to those places Cissa, you know it does not do us any favours for you to be seen associating with convicted Death Eaters.'

Narcissa threw down her knife and fork onto her plate with a loud clang, she did not ask to be scolded like a little child as though she had done something wrong.

'He is not just a convicted Death Eater, Lucius, he is, he was family. It could be Bella, or even you, sitting where Sirius sat in the future, do you expect me to just sit at home whilst you're being condemned to a half life? No need to worry, I made sure I wasn't seen, lest your pristine reputation is soiled.'

Lucius poured out the last drops of wine into his glass and drank it in one go; Narcissa was angry at him and he was going to need all the help he could get.

'Narcissa, I didn't mean to berate you for caring about your family, of course I do not mean to prevent you from seeing them. Please do not think think that I doubt your judgement – you should do what you think is best, for you and your family.'

Narcissa glare at her husband for a few seconds, as if judging the sincerity of his apology.

'You are right, I know that it would not help our case if I was seen to be close with people like Sirius – I shall be more careful in the future. However, I am not worried about him, I am worried about you. Crouch does not give people trials, people he suspect do not have a chance to defend themselves - Sirius's trial was a mummer's farce- I do not wish to see you dragged away to Azkaban on his mockery of justice.'

'I swear in the name of Salazar Slytherin himself, I will not allow myself to be sent to Azkaban Cissy. I won't leave you and Draco alone - I love you both too much. Besides, they have no evidence against me, and even if they do, I have the trust of the Minister herself, a word from her, and Crouch won't dare arrest me,' said Lucius, softly clasping his wife's hand. 'Now finish your dinner Cissa, you look exhausted, Merlin knows you need some energy,' he ordered sternly, although not unkindly.

Whenever possible, Narcissa liked to spend time with Draco, and when Lucius was otherwise unoccupied, he would join them. This evening, they were sitting in one of their larger drawing rooms, to provide Draco with ample room for his flying practice. In the space of a few hours, he has proved himself to be a sound flier; already able to fly three feet in the air and to catch the small soft Quaffle whenever it is thrown at him. Their pleasant family evening, however was cut short, when Croesus Nott's head unceremoniously erupted from the fireplace, causing Draco to tumble off his broomstick, and Narcissa running to comfort him.

'What in Merlin's name are you doing? You ought to tell us prior-'

'Shut up Malfoy. We need to go. Dolohov has just been taken by Moody. Hurry!'

 **A/N: Firstly I would like to thank you all for reading my story. This is the first fanfiction I've ever written so frankly I'm surprised even one person has read it. As it is my first, I would greatly appreciate reviews of any sort - good, critical and even bad, really, I don't mind if you just write that you don't like it. I mean, obviously I would prefer positive reviews, but I am looking more at improving so critical reviews are highly would also be nice to know what you want to read, which parts you enjoyed and which parts you didn't so I know what to focus on in the future. and again, thank you so much for taking the time to read!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Loss

Stunned, Lucius wordlessly summoned a cloak and grabbed the green flames of Croesus Nott's hand and stepped into the fireplace, whereupon a burst of emerald flames engulfed them both. The next thing he knew, Lucius was expelled into an unfamiliar room with high ceilings and richly decorated in cerulean and gold.

'We need to wait for Rosier – he ought to be arriving soon.' Nott glanced at his pocket watch, it was 7:54 pm, and the portkey was due to arrive at 8 pm sharp.

'Where in Merlin's name did you bring me Nott?'

'Dolohov's _humble abode._ St. Petersburg,' replied the older wizard, dusting off ash from the sleeve of his robes.

'St. Petersburg? In _Russia_?' Lucius stared at his companion who did not look at all disconcerted by this, and carried on picking small pieces of debris of his robes. 'I hope you realise that travelling across borders using Floo without prior consent is illegal?' Lucius hissed, 'If the Floo Net-'

'Lucius,' the older wizard placed a hand on Lucius's shoulder and raised one eyebrow 'you've killed and tortured, yet breaking Floo transport regulations is where you draw the line? Not to worry, someone had taken care of that, they won't find out.'

'And pray, who is this _someone_ whom you seem to trust with so much?'

'Dolores Umbridge, I believe you knew her at Hogwarts – Slytherin too. Improper Use of Magic Office but she's got a few tricks up her sleeve, anyhow, no one has been monitoring your fireplace for months.'

Dolores Umbridge was someone Lucius tried very hard to forget, she was a bothersome little girl who often sported a pink bow or hairband. As she was in Slytherin as well as Lucius's year, he had the grave misfortune of sharing all of his classes with her, even up to N.E.W.T level, as he – regrettably – took the same subjects as her.

'That Umbridge girl – woman, she's a nasty piece of work Nott, are you certain she can be trusted?'

'She is slimy and vexatious to be sure, but I trust her,' Nott answered with a smirk, as though he was privy to a juicy secret.

'Oh really? How so?'

'She wants to marry me, I'm pretty sure. Ever since Athena died, she's been batting her eyes and pouting her mouth at me. _Mr Nott, I absolutely adore children! I do feel for you, all alone in your home with a young child, how tough that much be!_ It's irritating but she's got her uses.'

'Merlin,' Lucius rolled his eyes and exhaled slowly, 'is she still doing that? One would hope she had enough sense to take the hint.'

'Come now Malfoy, you have deeply offended me – there I was thinking she wanted to marry me for my mysterious charms and rugged masculinity,' Nott uttered, lines forming around his dark eyes as he smirked.

'Your ego always got the better of you Nott. It is your blood, your wealth and your power that woman wants to marry.'

The grandfather clock in the corner of the room chimed thrice, as Nott strode towards a window and opened the brocade curtains. Outside in the snow, Lucius could just make out two silhouettes; one tall and slender and the other approximately half the size – a child – making their way towards the house. Some minutes later, the doors of the parlour opened and a woman with a small child entered, both draped in long black woollen cloaks that looked like they had seen better days. Without any warning, Nott strode up to the woman and pointed his wand squarely in the middle of her chest.

'Antonin's birthday. What present did I give him?'

'A dagger – goblin silver – the hilt is inlaid with emeralds, and you told him that it _will cut one's throat like butter_ ,' she answered, unperturbed.

Nott lowered his wand as the woman lowered her hood, she was, Lucius approximated, his age or slightly older, with elegant features, ash blonde hair and cool blue eyes like icebergs, although at this moment, it was in a disheveled low bun and her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, either from a lack of sleep or crying. Having ascertained that the pair were otherwise unharmed, Nott seemed to suddenly remember Lucius's presence and turned to introduce them.

'Lucius, this is Nadezdha, Dolohov's wife, and Dimitri, his son.'

She nodded curtly in Lucius's direction before turning back to Nott.

'I'm sorry, Theodore. We were ambushed by Aurors when we left the house – he told me to apparate to the Portkey without him and that he would join us but –' she broke off abruptly, gently shaking her head.

'It is not your fault. He knew the risks but it was the right thing to do, besides, he might still be alive – a few years in Azkaban before the Dark Lord returns –'

'No, Evan is dead.'

* * *

Narcissa was not worried about Lucius, after all, during the _war_ –as the newspapers were calling it – he had often been called away by a fellow Death Eater or the Dark Lord himself, besides, Lucius had an uncanny knack of avoiding harm and trouble – an exceptional sense of self-perseverance – in fact, Narcissa could only remember one instance where he was injured on the Dark Lord's missions; Crabbe had been practicing one of Severus's curses when he, when his damn lousy aim hit Lucius instead, who ended up with an awful wound on his arm. Draco has quite recovered from his little fall, and having grown tired of Quaffle catching, has now taken to chasing Dobby around on his toy broomstick. Perusing the Evening Prophet looking for news on the Lestranges, Narcissa came across an article on Sirius's trial, or rather, his whole life.

 **SIRIUS BLACK: VILLAIN OR VICTIM?**

 _Sirius Black, notorious Death Eater, was sentenced to life in Azkaban earlier today, however, can we really blame him for his actions? The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black has spawned many a dark wizard before, such as Cygnus Black I, father of the first Sirius Black. He was rumoured to have fashioned a necklace using precious opals he found during his travels in Brazil. Keen to protect his treasure, he cursed the necklace so that anyone apart from himself would die after coming in contact with it. His daughter Elladora, who inherited the necklace after he died, was said to have used it to kill unwitting muggle women – the Ministry suspects that it may have been the cause of around twenty muggle deaths last century. Of course, in more contemporary times, we have Bellatrix Lestrange, cousin of Sirius Black, who is wanted for the torture of the Longbottoms, and Sirus's own brother Regulus, who died whilst on a mission for You-Know-Who. I, Rita Skeeter, journalist for the Prophet, have secured interviews with those who personally knew Black, whose family's blood is tainted with Dark Magic. 'Walburga was an arrogant woman prone to violent outbursts, she would often set things on fire when she was angry,' a close friend of Black's uncle Alphard told me, clearly fire and explosions are not the only thing Sirius and his mother…_

Narcissa threw the paper into the fireplace, feeling more and more incensed with every breath. _Whose family's blood is tainted with Dark Magic, tainted with Dark Magic?_ How dare this woman write such dishonest and fictitious lies about her family? Walburga was not _arrogant,_ she merely had a healthy dose of self-respect, and quite rightly so, she was pure-blood and the matriarch of House Black, of course she would not condescend herself with mudbloods and blood traitors. Narcissa's aunt Walburga did, however, become enraged often, but that was only when truly disgraceful things happened, for instance, when the mudblood Nobby Leach became Minister for Magic. Narcissa made a mental note to write a strong worded letter to the Barnanbus Cuffe, editor of the Prophet, about this libellous attack on her family - she was aiming for the removal of Rita Skeeter.

'Draco, darling, come. You must be tired. Dobby has a lot of things to do, let's read The Wizard and the Hopping Pot!' Narcissa called.

'No! Mummy I'm not tired and neither is Dobby, right Dobby?' came Draco's reply from the hallway, followed by a melody of gleeful laughter.

Narcissa sighed, Draco certainly does take after his father, both seem to possess the inability to listen to others – suddenly, a gentle yet rapid series of knocking bought Narcissa'a attention to the window, where a handsome great grey owl was perched, tapping its beak on the window pane. She instantly recognised the owl as belonging to her parents, whereupon she opened the window and untied the letter from the owl's leg before sending it on its way. Narcissa recognized the elegant script as that of her mother's, although today it looked somewhat jerky and hasty – she noticed the tiny scuffs on the paper on the dot above the 'i' where her mother had punctuated perhaps a little too forcefully with her quill, and the tiny streaks of dried ink, where her mother did not blot. She quickly torn off the wax seal; it was not often that Druella Black lost her nerve, much unlike her sister-in-law, after all, she had instilled in Narcissa that as a pure-blood witch, propriety was of paramount importance.

 _Dearest Narcissa,_

 _Come as soon as you can to Grimmauld Place, your uncle Orion has fallen ill – the healers say he does not have long – it is his heart again, you know how he has never fully recovered from the Nundu encounter. I apologise for informing you so late, we were rather caught up in the moment._

 _Love, your mother._

 _P.S. The fireplace is blocked, you have to apparate._

Wordlessly, she summoned two cloaks – one for herself and one for Draco before finding her son and gently lifting him off his broomstick. Draco, sensing something serious was happening by the hard set line of his mother's mouth and the slight frown between her eyebrows, obediently followed his mother by putting on his cloak and allowing himself to be carried in her arms. As they made their way along the tall hedgerows, Narcissa kissed her child softly on forehead before they both disappeared with a quiet pop.


End file.
